Connecting or securing means



May 30, 1939. ELRENNEBERG CONNECTING OR SECURING MEANS Filed March 27, 1937 'INVENTOR Edgar Fem? fiberq Patented May 30, 1939 assess PATENT OFFWE CONNECTING R SECURING MEANS Edgar ltenneberg, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Safety Equipment Service Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 27, 1937, Serial No. 133.437

- mm. (Cl. 24-211) This invention relates to improvements in connecting or securing means and has particular reference to improved means and method of'uniting the parts of an ophthalmic mounting.

5 One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved connection or securing device for attaching and at the same time per- 'mitting the removal or adjustment of the bridge used in connecting the lens holding means or eyecups of a goggle or eye protector.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved bridge means for an ophthalmic mounting which may be automatically'adjusted without bending to obtain the required distance between the lenses.

the removable bridge in place so that there will ,be no opportunity for it to slip or loosen while the mounting is in Another objectis to provide simple means of adjusting thedistanoe between the lens holding members which may be operated without disturbing other parts of the mounting.

Another object is to make possible the ready removal of soiled and worn bridge coverings or replacement of new partsas well as adjustments of said parts without the use of special tools.

Another object is to provide simple and durable means of adjusting the distance'between the lens holding members and which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following descrip- I tion taken in connection with the accom I drawing. .and it .will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement of parts and steps of the process without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in theaccompanying claims. I, therefore, do not wish to be the exact ,details shown and described asthe preferrcd form has only been shown by way of illustration.

In the drawing:

lng embodying the invention;

Fig. II is an enlarged fragmentary view of the portion of the goggle on line II-II of Fig; I and looking ln-the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Another object a to provide mm for locking Fig. I is a front viewof "an ophthalmic mount rial.

Fig. III is an enlarged sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 11.

With certain types of ophthalmic mountings particularly eye protectors and goggles it is necessary that the mounting be so formed that the distance between the lens holding members may be adjusted to lit the facial requirements of different individuals and to also enable the ready removal vof soiled and worn parts such as bridge coverings, etc. Inprior art mountings where attempts have been made to accomplish this result it has been found dliiicult to produce a connection that will hold the bridge member securely. in position and yet be so constructed that the distance between the lens holding members may be quickly and easily adjusted, that is, to provide a use of the mounting.

- Referring moreparticularly the drawingin which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views the device embodying the invention comprises a pair of eyecup members i of the usual conventional type which are formed with a face contacting edge 2 shaped to the contour of the face and a lens supporting edgeion which a protection lens 4 isheld by suitable means such as a retaining ring I. The retaining ring'is preferably providedwith a threaded portion which is threadedly connected to a similar threaded portion formed adjacent'the lens supporting edge of the eyecup.

-It, however, may be attached to the eyecup by any suitable means knowninthe art.

The eyecup members I are connectedicentrally by a bridge. member and are provided with a: suitable head band I to holdthe mounting on the face of the wearer.

The bridge member 0 is flexible and is formed of a plurality of ball members I connected in spacedrelation by a serlesof link members 9. The bridge member iscov'ered by a tubular member II which may be formed of a non inflammable substance, rubber or other soft protective mate- 'lhe connection of the bridge member 8 to the eyecup l is formed by piercing the side walls of the eyecups to form a relatively large opening ll therethrough and spaced, diametrically opposed relatively small openings l2.

device which is durable and inexpensive and The connecting means, which as shown in Fig. III, comprises two small metallic cups H and I5 shaped to flt one within the other and to flt in the opening II, is secured in said opening by means of small prongs or protuberances l6 formed on the cup member 15 and which extend through the openings l2 and are turned over as indicated at H to act as clips retaining the said cups H and IS in superimposed relation with each other in the opening II. The cup member [4 is provided with a flange l8 which assumes a position between the wall of the eyecup l and a similar flange l9 formed on the cup member IS. The cup member I4 is also provided with a prong or protuberance 20 which extends outwardly of a the peripheral edge of the flange l9 towards the inside ofthe eyecup to provide means by which the cup member l4 may be revolved to the left or right within the opening ll.

Each of 'the cups l4 and II are provided with eccentric openingsll and 22 respectively which during the rotation of the cup member ll'may beimoved intoalignment with each other to Y permit the insertion of one end of the ball chain member .or bridge 5. "After the end ofthe ball chain-member has been'adjusted to the length desired by the insertion of one or more of the prongzZl to causethe openings-to move outcf aligned relation with each other as indicated'in Fig-II until the side walls of the portions hav- .ine the openings therein close in about'the adjacent .link-IS to lock the bridge member to the eyecup. V

When-it is desiredto'change the length of bridge orgremove sthe-tubular member lflwhen the membembecomjes soiledfor' worn' it is only necessary-to rotate thecup member' 'l 4 until the openings Ii and--22 move.intoaligned .relatioi with'each other soithat the ball members! n s ay;-'be moved inwardly 'or-outwardl'y of said openings. This permits the bridge member to be detached from the connecting means '3 or permits the; adjustment thereof as described above."--{q e I I 'It is t'be-flnder'stood that one or both of the eyecup's may be provided with: the connecting means l3 as desired.

i It isalso tobe understood that the flexible brid'gemember 8 may .be formed of means other than the ball and link members 8 and 9 as it is only necessary that the said bridge member be provided with means which may be anchored in the connecting means l3 to secure the parts together.

From the foregoing itv will be seen that I have provided simple, efllcient and economical means of carrying out all of the objects and advantages of the invention, particularly that of providing durable means for allowing the bridge member to be easily and qufckly'adjusted and locked to therein and an angularly disposed lip, the body portion of one of said cup shaped members fltting within the opening in said wall with its lip engaging a side surface of the wall adjacent said opening, the body portion of the other of said cup shaped members fltting in said first cup shaped member with its lip overlying the lip of said flrst cup shaped member and having attaching means extending therefrom and attached to the wall to hold the said cup shaped members in'said opening, the lip of the first cup shaped member lying between the lip of said second member and the wall to which said second member is attached, said ,first member having a tongue extending outwardly of one side thereof between the contour of the lip of the second cup shaped member whereby the first cup shaped member may be rotated relative to the second 'to move the eccentric openings into and out of alignedrelation with eachother. 2. In" a deviceof the character described for connecting separable parts, one of sai d parts having a wall with an opening'therein and the other a portion-"shapedto extend in said opening, connecting means for securing said portion in said opening comprising-a pair 'of concentrically arranged interfltted cup shaped members. each" having an eccentrically disposed opening therein and an'angularly disposedlp, the body portion of one of said cup shaped members fltting in the opening in said wall with its lipengaglng the side surface of the wall adjacent said opening, the body portioncf the other of said cup shaped members fitting in said first cup shaped member with its lip overlying the lip of said first cup shaped member and having attaching flngers extending therefrom and attached to the wall adjacent the opening therein to hold the said cup shaped members in said opening, the lip of the first 'cup'shaped member lying between the lip of said second member and the wall of the adjacent separable part with the attaching fingers overlying the edge of the lip of said flrst member, the said lip of said first member having a tongue extending outwardly to one side,

thereof beyond the contour of the lip of the second'cup shaped member whereby the first cup I shaped member may be rotated relative to the second to move the eccentric-openings info and out of aligned relation with each other. 7 f

EDGAR. RENNEBERG. 

